In the known art, magnetic ink character reading apparatuses are known which have a magnetic head that detects a variation in magnetic flux intensities on magnetic ink characters (MIRC character: Magnetic Ink Character Recognition characters). In the magnetic ink character reading apparatuses, a character recognition process is performed based on detection result data indicative of the detection result of the magnetic head so as to recognize the magnetic ink characters recorded on a recording medium on a character-by-character basis.
For example, a magnetic ink character reading apparatus is known which has a function of reading magnetic ink characters recorded on a recording medium and a function of printing images on the recording medium. Such a magnetic ink character reading apparatus is used for clearing checks in a retail store or the like. When the clerk in the retail store receives a check from buyers, the store's identification information, the amount of the check, and the like are printed on the check. In this printing process, the print function of the magnetic ink character reading apparatus is used. Then, the buyers confirm the store's identification information, the amount of the check, or the like printed on the check, and writes down their signatures on the check. When the clerk receives the signed check, an account number and the like printed on the surface of the check using the magnetic ink characters are read by the magnetic ink character reading apparatus. The read account number and the like are transmitted to a host computer in order to validate the account number or the like. When the validity of the account number or the like is approved, the effect of the validity is printed on the check using the print function and thus the check clearing process is completed.
In a general magnetic ink character reading apparatus, the magnetic ink characters recorded on the recording medium are recognized in the following manner. The magnetic ink character reading apparatus extracts one-character-corresponding data (i.e., data corresponding to one character) from detection result data in a sequential manner and acquires a similarity between reference data of each of the magnetic ink characters and the one-character-corresponding data. Thereafter, the magnetic ink character reading apparatus recognizes the magnetic ink character having the highest similarity as the magnetic ink character corresponding to the one-character-corresponding data (i.e., the magnetic ink character recorded on the recording medium).